Door-holder.



J. F. GOLDING.

DOOR HOLDER.

APPLICATION man MAY 26, 1915.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. F. GOLDING.

DOOR HOLDER. APfLlCATION FILED MAY 26. 1915.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JOHN F. GOLIDING, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DOOR-HOLDERL Applicationfiled May 26, 1915.

justment by the hand or foot has the four functions: to offer no resistance to the opening of the door; to offer a temporary resistance to the closing of the door from any open or partly open position, such resistance being sufficient to prevent accidental closing of the door; to yield to a suiiiciently strong push or pull on the door when it is desired to close it; and to assume an inoperative po sition after it so yields, so that it is then ready to perform its first mentioned function of non-resistance.

The invention has for its object to construct and provide a door holder or check which will have the above described mode of operation and. useful functions; and it con sists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood I have shown in the accompanying drawin s means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting my improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, I

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a door holder or check embodying my invention, and an edge view of a portion of a door to which the same is attached, the holder being in the position it takes when the door is closed.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the device in the position which it takes in the act of opening the door and when the door has been opened two inches, more or less (referrlng to the particular scale of the drawing).

Fig. 3 is a similar view, with the holder in the position which it takes when the door has been opened for four or five inches or to a greater distance or entirely.

.Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr: 3, 1917.

Serial No. 30,576.

Fig. 4: is a similar view, the device being 111 the position which it takes when the door is begun to be closed and has moved about fication, the same illustrating another means for causing the leg to trail freely in both'directions and to offer .a temporary resistance when first moved in the door-closing direction.

is a sectional view of another form of leg, illustrating the application of the spring below instead of above the pivot, the holder having otherwise the same mode of operation as in Figs. 1 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, of a door holder of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5, with which is combined a supplemental swingable leg, so that. the door may, at will, beheld by temporary resistance at any point from movement in either direction.

Referring to'the drawings, 1 is a portion of an ordinary swinging door to which the holder is shown as applied, the bottom edge of the door being indicatedat 2. 3 is a flexible spring arm which can be of various shapes not inconsistent with the useful operation of the device. the preferred shape being about semi-circular with an integral extension l which is or may be rigidly attached to the door, by screws 5 or other suitable means. At its free end, which is adapted to have an up and down spring yielding motion, the arm 3 carries a pivot 6. This is preferably accomplished by forming the end portion will have a strong frictional engage ment within the spring eye 7 and hold the pivot securely without riveting its end.

This has a material use as hereinafter pointed out. At one end the pivot 6 is formed with a retaining head or shoulder 9 arrapged at a distance from the end of the eye 10 is a swingable leg formed with a shouldered or L-shaped slot 11, the shoulder or lateral extension of the same being indicated at 12. The leg 10 is hung on the pivot 6 within the head 9, the pivot passing through of the spring with a spring eye or bearing 7 e said slot 11. I have found that it is a diflicult and uncertain matter to secure the pivot by riveting its end and have the leg 10 work properly, because in many cases the pivot will then work further inward and bind the leg between the head 9 and the end of the eye 7. But by having the pivot of the right length, and expanded at 8 as described, it can be driven through the slot 11 and eye 7 until its end is just flush with the farther end of the eye, in which position (if it has been made of the right length) the head 9 will closely confine the leg but will not bind thereon, and will not change in position. The permanent free working of the leg, which is of great importance, is thus insured.

The arrangement of the slot 11 is such that its lateral portion 12 extends toward the door.

The lower end of the leg is formed with a screw thread 13, on which is screwed a nut 14: and below the same a soft rubber foot 15.

p This construction enables the said foot to be screwed up or down to regulate the operative length of the leg, and the foot is held in its adjusted position and from working the door to which the holder is applied to prevent its accidental closing, and con-. 'tinuesin this position as the door is opened was last closed the parts were left in the positions shown in Fig. 1. If the door is now opened the slotted end of the leg will be first pushed over till the leg assumes a vertical position, the foot 15. turning, but

not sliding, on the floor and the lower part of the slot 11 receiving the pivot 6 without pressing it upward (Fig. 2) thus leaving the spring normal. No resistance is offered by the leg or spring to this movement of the door. -A further opening movement of the door will carrythe leg over to the position shown in Fig. 3, the slotted end of the leg also dropping relative to the pivot 6 till the latter is received in the lateral portion of the slot above the shoulder 12, and the door having opened about four and a half inches (on the scale shown). The holder is now ready to resist the closing of the door and wider or' entirely, and during all of the de scribed opening movement the holder offers no resistance.

If now the door be intentionally pushed or pulled, ordinarily by the knob, to close the same, the foot 15 will not slide on the floor but will engage the same and the pivot 6 will be moved over to a position substantially perpendicularly above the foot (Fig. 4:), thereby causing the spring 3 to be flexed upward as the pivot is raised by the shoulder 12. The holder thus offers a temporary resistance to the closing of the door, sufficient (by reason of the original strength of the spring 3, and the adjustment of the foot 15 to regulate the length of the leg and amount of flexure of the spring) to prevent its accidental closing. From this point (Fig. M the holder ofiers no resistance to the further closing of the door and slightly accelerates it till the flexure of the spring ceases and the pivot 6 has returned to normal position. As soon as the pivot 6 ceases to press down on the shoulder 12 the slotted end of the leg will drop to the left bringing the vertical part of the slot 11 in line with the pivot, as seen in Fig. 1. The leg is now non-resistant to the movement of the door in either direction, and as the closing movement continues it trails inoperatively until the door is shut.

The equivalent of the shoulder 12 for the purposes described can be realized in other forms than that shown in Figs. 1 to 5. In Fig. 6 a pair of links 16 are interposed between the pivot 6 and the upper end of the leg, the latter being indicated at 10 and having said link pivoted thereto at 6. The leg is extended above the pivot G and is formed with shoulders 12 which are adapted to engage the edges of the links which are toward the door. This engagement takes place when the holder is in operative position with the door open, the pivot (3 being a little to the outside of a straight line which would connect the pivot 6 with the floor-engaging part of the foot 15. When the door is now forcibly closed the parts 16 and 10 will not buckle on the pivot 6 but the pivot G will be forced upward and the spring flexed, offering a temporary resistance to the closing of the door. As the door is further closed the shoulders 12 will fall away from the links 16 and the leg 10 will trail after the door. On new opening the door the links 16 will first move away from the shoulders 12 and lift the leg 10 erect. and thereafter the leg will fall over outward till the said shoulders reengage the links. The holder is now inoperative and nonresistant during the further opening of the door but is in operative position to temporarily resist-the closing of the door, as first explained. In this form or modification of the holder the spring is flexed temporarily only during the first part of the closing movement of the door and the leg automatically assumes an inoperative trailing position in either direction except during said time when the spring is flexed.

Different forms of springs may be employed which will give the desired and described mode of operation to the holder. According to my present experiments that. shown in Figs. 1 to 5 seems preferable.

In the form of holder shown in Fig. 7

a connection 16 interposed between the pivot 6 and the leg 10", said connection telescoping longitudinally with the leg and a spring 3 being interposed between said parts, which spring is flexed by pressing the parts together or toward each other. The connection is provided with a slot 11, 12 as in Figs. 1 to 5, and having the same mode of operation, but the pivot 6 is or may be carried by a rigid arm l attached to the door. The spring is flexed as the pivot 6 passes the vertical plane of the leg on the closing movement of the door, thus offering temporary resistance; and the spring is left normal as the pivotpasses said plane on the opening movement of the door; the leg automatically assuming a trailing position in either direction except during said time when the spring is flexed.

I have thus illustrated two known forms of springs, but my invention does not exclude other forms suitable for the purpose.

In applying the holder to a door the foot 15 is located on the leg so that itmay be adjusted upward, and the spring extension 4: is attached to the door at such height as will give the proper inclination to the leg, so that the foot will not slide on the floor but will take hold of the same as described and cause the leg to turn. If, on trying the operation of the holder, its said temporary resistance is found to be too strong the nut 14: and foot 15 are screwed upward on the leg until such resistance is sufiicient for the purpose but not too much.

The holder having tie described mode of operation is particularly useful on uneven floors. To illustrate, it often happens that the floor is higher near the door sill than it is farther back where it is desired that the device shall hold the door open. It the holder resisted in both directions it would have an objectionally strong resistance to opening the door in order that it might have a suiiicient resistance at the holding point. It is readily seen that my improved holder obviates such difiiculties.

It is sometimes desired that the door be held fixed, with yieldable resistance, at some particular degree o1 opening. I provide for this by a supplemental leg 18 which is mounted on the pivot 6, as illustrated in Fig. 8. This leg may normally remain swung up away from the floor and resting against the door above the spring 3, in a known manner. After the door has been opened to the desired point, where the leg 10 opposes the closing of the door, the said supplemental leg may be swung downward to engage the floor, in which position it will oppose any farther opening of the door. This supplemental leg, however, acts automatically and can be inclined in eitherdireetion toward or from the door when the door is intentionally moved. The supplemental leg is shown as connected with the pivot by an unslotted hole or bearing, but it will be understood that the same can be slotted as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5, but the lateral arm of its slot will be arranged to point away from the door.

19 is a rubber buffer attached to the outer end of the spring 3, the spring 3 acting mainly as the buffer and the rubber 19 preventing any marring of the wall against which the door may be swung.

There is an advantage in having the upper end of the supplemental leg 18 slotted, as in dicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8, in that it the supplemental leg be mounted on its own independent spring and he accidentally left down' on the floor after the door is closed, and the door be then opened, the supplemental leg will be inclined away from the door (at its upper end) but will ofier no resistance to the closing of the door. That is to say, with the last mentioned construction, there will be at no time double resistance to the closing of the door or to the opening of the door.

What I claim is:

1. A door holder comprising a swingable leg having a. floor-engaging foot, and a pivot for said leg, said holder having a flexible spring, and means whereby the spring is flexed temporarily during the first part of the closing movement of the door and whereby the leg automatically assumes an inoperative trailing position in either direction except during said time when the spring is flexed.

2. A. door holder comprising a swingable leg having a tloor-engagin g foot, and a pivot for said leg, said holder having aflexible spring, and means whereby the spring is flexed temporarily as the leg assumes a vertical posi ion during the first part of the closing movement of the door and whereby the leg automatically assumes a vertical position without flexure of the spring during the opening movement oi the door and an inoperative trailing position in either direction except during said time when the spring is flexed.

3. A door holder comprising a swingable leg having a floor-engaging foot, and a pivot for said leg, said holder having a flexible spring, and means whereby said leg causes the flexure of the spring as the pivot passes the vertical plane of the leg on the closing movement of the door and leaves the spring normal as the pivot passes said plane on the opening movement of the door.

4. A door holder comprising a swingable leg having a floor-engaging foot, and a pivot for said leg, said holder having a flexible spring, and a shoulder which causes the flexure of the spring as the pivot passes the vertical plane of the leg on the closing movement of the door and leaves said spring normal as the pivot passes said vertical plane on the .opening movement of the door.

5. In a door holder, a swingable leg which is freely swingable to incline toward the door or to incline away from the door; a pivot for the leg; and means acting on said pivot and leg in combination therewith to cause the same to give temporary resistance during a small part only of the closing movement of the door and to be non-resistant during the opening movement of the door.

6. In a door holder, in combination: a swingable leg; a pivot on which the leg is mounted to swing away from or toward the door; and means for attaching the leg and pivot to the door; said means comprising a spring which is operated when the leg swings in vertical line with said pivot on the closing movement of the door, the spring be ing inoperative to resist the opening of the door when the leg swings in line with its pivot on such opening movement.

'7. A door check or holder comprising, in combination: an arm having means for attachment to a door; a pivot parallel with the front of the door and carried by the arm at a distance from the door; and a swinging leg connected with the said pivot and freely swingable in either direction to trail on the floor without resistance, said leg having a foot which rests on the floor and engages the same, with resistance to hold the door when the door is pressed in the direction opposite to the inclination of the said swingable leg; the said holder comprising a metal spring interposed between the said foot and the said attaching means.

7 8.- In a door holder, in combination: a pivot; means for attaching the same to a door; and an automatic temporarily resistant, and trailing leg swingably mounted on the said pivot and having a floor-engaging foot, the said leg being formed at its upper end with an L-shaped slot embracing the said pivot; the said holder comprising a flexible spring interposed between the said foot and the said attaching means and acting against the said pivot.

9. A door holder comprising a swingable leg having a floor-engaging foot, and a pivot for said leg adapted to be connected with a door, said holder having a flexible spring, means whereby the spring is flexed temporarily during the first part of the closing movement of the door and whereby the leg automatically assumes an inoperative trailing position in either direction except during said time when the spring is flexed, and a supplemental swingable leg which is movable past a vertical line and is inclinable in either direction while engaging the floor and is adapted to give temporary resistance to an opening movement of the door.

10. In a door holder, in combination: a pivot; means for attaching the same to a door; and an automatic, temporarily resistant, and trailing leg swingably mounted on the said pivot and having a floor-engaging foot, the said leg being formed at its upper end with an L-shaped slot embracing the said pivot; the said holder comprising a flexible spring interposed between the said foot and the said attaching means and acting against the said pivot; and a supplemental swingable leg which is movable automatically past a vertical line and is inclinable in either direction while engaging the floor and is adapted to give temporary resistance to an opening movement of the door.

11. In a door holder, a swingable and inclinable leg adapted to be connected with a door, and trailing freely after the door in either direction; and means whereby said leg offers resistance to the closing of the door when it is inclined away from the door, and changes its inclination without resistance when it is inclined toward the door and the door is opened.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature hereto.

JOHN F. GOLDING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fiveoents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

' Washington, I). 0. 

